Weight loss surgery beneficial for diabetes patients

3:35 pm July 6, 2015| Last Modified: 4:49 pm July 6, 2015

Pennsylvania, US (BBN)-A new study compares the benefits of weight loss surgery for people with type 2 diabetes. It was a small study but still, the comparison says that weight loss surgery might have a better 3 year result than people who do not have the surgery and only make lifestyle changes.
“One of the most important things to take away is that there is durability of remission over time,” reports Dr. Anita Courcoulas, from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, reports the Piercepioneer.
The lead study author goes on to say, “We’ll be able to see what the remissions look like at five and seven years. I think that’s the next step in this field.”
Previous studies have found that weight loss surgeries can show improvement for people with type 2 diabetes but there just wasn’t enough evidence to prove it. Apparently this is now the case.
Still, Dr. Osama Hamdy—who was not involved with the new study—warns that people who have type 2 diabetes and their respective doctors should not necessarily get too excited about these study results.
Hamdy says, “Any study like this we need to be very cautious when reading them and read between the lines.” The Joslin Diabetes Center Obesity Clinical Program medical director goes on to say “I’m cautious about this and people have to weigh the risks and benefits.”
Of course, this makes a lot of sense as Type 2—which is more common than Type 1—is often more linked to obesity. So it is certainly reasonable that weight loss surgery would help. Type 2 diabetes is characterized by the body’s sudden inability to make enough of the hormone insulin and this impedes the body’s ability to use glucose as fuel.
Currently about 29 million Americans—equivalent to about 9 percent of our population—have diabetes and about 30 percent of that population is undiagnosed.BBN/SK/AD

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